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Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Astonishing X-men #4 (Age of Apocalypse part 28)


Age of Apocalypse  Part 28

Astonishing X-men  Issue #4


Written by Scott Lobdell

Art by Joe Madureira

Inks by Al Milgrom

Lettered by Richard Starkings & Comicraft




Open With:
Clarice Ferguson, a.k.a. Blink, is staring down the mutant named Holocaust. 






She is crazy mad as she found her friend and mentor Sabertooth strung up in chains last issue by Holocaust.   This young mutant heroine attacks Holocaust, using her unique powers of teleportation.  She is able to get the literal drop on him and sends him through a teleport hole into a vat of chemicals.





Not far away:
The rest of Blink’s team; Rogue, Sunfire, Wildchild, and Morph, are currently fighting a horde of Apocalypse’s shock troops called Infinities. As they fight on, Rogue tells Sunfire to go free the rest of the humans being held in the factory.  Sunfire grabs the feral mutant Wildchild; and the two are off to the holding pens. Leaving Rogue and Morph to fight on against the Infinities.

Cut To:
The New York City Skyline is vastly altered by the Apocalypse Citadel. The base of operations for this world's tyrant, Apocalypse. Inside, the imprisoned Magneto is watching the events take place in Indianapolis. He hopes that his wife Rogue and her team of X-men are successful.  Magneto reaches out to touch the projection globe when there is a voice from a silhouette saying. “enough” and the sphere shuts off.
Apocalypse enters and begins to monologue  with his best James Bond villain impersonation.  Magneto gets mad and makes a grab for the despot’s neck;  however,  Apocalypse snaps his fingers and Magneto drops to the floor like a rag doll.

Meanwhile, back at the plant:
Several Infinites stand outside a fence determining whether to kill a bunch of humans.  Just as they are about to shoot them, a howl is heard somewhere above them. 





 A large beastly form is seen in the shadows, and just as the infinities are about to attack. Sunfire rains a firestorm down on them. The heat is so intense it takes out part of the fence and frees the humans.


Elsewhere:
Near the chemical vats, Morph runs into Blink.  She is contemplative as she has just vanquished Holocaust out of revenge for what he did last issue to Sabertooth. However, the victory is short lived as the side of the vat is blown out and chemicals tidal wave everywhere.  Holocaust is very much alive and… pissed.

Holocaust attacks the two mutants, and slams them around the room. Blink tries to use her powers but Holocaust manages to counter her, but is surprised to find himself falling to his knees after Morph touches him. Revealing that in reality the person was Rogue and not the Shape Shifter Morph.

The real Morph shows up by transforming into a giant brick and lands on Holocaust from a skylight in the ceiling.  Holocaust now battered stands up to see that he now faces the entire team of Astonishing X-men. Cue fight music.  

Rogue takes point and the fight rages from panel panel across the factory floor. As the group battles, Holocaust is  knocked down by a big red button. Plot convenience type of button. He presses it and is teleported away.  Rogue, determined to capture the Horseman, jumps after him as he is teleported away. However she is stopped by a ring of ice.  
She shouts at Ice-man that she wanted to follow him to finish the job.  Iceman with a now recovered Sabertooth informs Rogue that Magneto has been captured and that they need a plan of action.  Rogue now tired of everything and says she has had enough, and we end with her stating the age of apocalypse is over and we continue the tale in X-men Omega.



THOUGHTS ON THE STORY:

This issue was good, but it need something a little more. Where we get three different battles there really isn't much of a resolution to the main story of Rogue and her team.  It establish the problem of Magneto being in the clutches of Apocalypse.  We basically get some setup for the big final issue of the entire crossover. As for character development, we see some with Blink but not a whole lot more. 
ART:  

Joe's art on this book has that Nineties feel. A little cartoony and yet fun. I really like his line work with the characters. Sharp lines and angular features.  I really like what he has put on the page. 

 
All in all I give this book a:


Score 7.5 out of 10


































 

 
 

 



 
 


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